Another bubbling day of Test cricket effervesced over the sides of the Sydney Cricket Ground in the last hour in one of the most remarkable turnabouts in Ashes cricket sincewellsince four days ago.

There had been vapours of the titanic Melbourne match at the very beginning, when the Australians had batted as though under the delusion that this was again a four-day contest. Slater was strangely skittish before his headstrong hook, while Langer must have read a favourable horoscope over breakfast for he seemed to have become convinced of his immunity from dismissal.

Once the Waughs were aligned, however, a sense of Australian ease and affluence settled over the game. Passers-by the rear of the M.A. Noble Stand are reminded by plaques of the feats of Stan McCabe and Alan Kippax. On a number of occasions during the Waugh's 190-run alliance, it was possible to imagine oneself watching these past masters again. There is a quality about the play of both Waughs that would not be out of place in a sepia photograph or on a black and white newsreel.

This was Mark Waugh's first century against England since Brisbane in December 1994: a curiously fallow stretch from a batsman whose first hundred came with such sweet ease. But his return to form was not unforseeable. He had looked comfortable and composed in Melbourne, and would probably have built a substantial first innings there had he not bee on the rough end of an lbw.

England had their chances to claw Australia back. They always do. Mark Waugh would surely have been run out at 75 but for a ham-handled pick-up and throw from mid-on by Alec Stewart, who seems in general to have lost the art of fielding sans gauntlets. Mark also offered a difficult but catchable chance to Crawley at short leg three runs later.

Lehmann then looked nervous at the outset of his innings - perhaps feeling the hot breath on his collar of South Australian colleague Greg Blewett - but Stewart challenged him with Ramprakash and Such whilst Gough, Tudor and Headley chewed grass in the outfield. In fact, by the time Gough returned with the second new ball, I'd almost forgotten he was playing.

There can scarcely have been a better delivery to complete a hat-trick than his out-swinging torpedo to overthrow Miller, and collapse of which it was part gave England considerable hope for the morrow.

Nonetheless, 322 may not be a contemptible score, and Taylor fifth successful toss of the series - the fourth Ashes coinwash after Jackson, Noble and Hassett - might go beyond being simply a triviaholic's chestnut.

Choice of innings at Perth and Adelaide conferred considerable advantages: the former exposing England's batsmen before they had their WACA landlegs, the latter condeming England's bowlers to a morale and moisture-sapping day in century-plus heat.

The opportunity to bat first on a surface likely to deteriorate may again prove decisive here. Even Ramprakash - purveyor of the most nondescript off-roll - turned the odd delivery quite violently. And Australia have, in this match, some spin to spare.